The uniface plaquette bears view of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower before dramtic clouds and sun rays. At upper right, (MLICO logo) / CONVENTION / 1941; signed at bottom right, CHAMBELLAN / SC
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company was founded in 1893 by a group of New York City businessmen who raised $100,000 to found the National Union Life and Limb Insurance Company. The company insured Civil War sailors and soldiers against disabilities. On March 24, 1868, it became known as Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and shifted its focus to the life insurance business.
In 1915 the company completed the process of changing from a public stock company to a mutual company but in 2000 it went public again. During much of the 20th century, MetLife, as it is colloquially called, insured a significant percentage of American families.
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, colloquially known as the Met Life Tower, is a Manhattan landmark, built from 1907 to 1909 and located on Madison Avenue near the intersection with East 23rd Street, across from Madison Square Park. Designed by the architectural firm of Napoleon LeBrun & Sons and built by the Hedden Construction Company, the tower is modeled after the Campanile in Venice, Italy. Today, the tower houses the New York Edition Hotel, a 273-room luxury hotel that opened in 2015.
My plaquette came embedded in the lid of a handsome little wooden box, sometimes described as a "cigarette box," that was probably the give-away at the convention. I have not attempted to separate the plaquette from the box, which means I cannot weigh it or document the edge markings. If you have a loose plaquette, I'd appreciate if you could send me the missing information.
You might have noticed that the plaquette bears 1941 in its legend whereas I date it to 1940. I am merely following Dick Johnson's reference which favors the date indicated by the Medallic Art Company's numbering scheme.
The rectangular plaquette measures 93mm x 134mm and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.
References: MACo 1940-058-001